Death Toll Reaches 28 After Pakistan School Roof Collapse

The reported death toll rose to 28 as rescuers searched the wreckage of a private school in Peshawar. An Associated Press update said an official confirmed the rise, though earlier reports counted 27 children and a female teacher among the dead. More than three dozen people were reported injured, and children were still believed to be trapped. ^4,1

The children were trapped beneath rubble after the roof gave way Thursday at a school in Peshawar, capital of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Emergency services spokesman Bilal Faizi said rescuers were clearing debris to reach them. Lady Reading Hospital declared an emergency to treat the injured, some of whom were in critical condition. Reports differ on the death toll and number of injured as officials issue updates. ^1,2

The search is urgent because people may still be alive under the debris, and the collapse has raised concerns about unsafe buildings. An earlier report said police had arrested the school’s owner and called the structure weak; it also said the cause was under investigation. Other reports pointed to poor safety standards and weak building materials as risks across Pakistan, where deadly roof and building collapses have happened before. ^10,12

Families are waiting for news as rescue workers continue their search at the site. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief and called for the injured to receive medical care. Officials have not yet found out why the roof fell. The next step is to finish searching the rubble and confirm the final toll; an investigation into the collapse is also needed. ^3,10